Tarik Skubal added a significant achievement to his already impressive record. The AL pitching Triple Crown winner helped the Detroit Tigers secure their first playoff win in over ten years with a fantastic performance in a 3-1 victory against the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Skubal mentioned that this was the most nervous he had felt since making his big league debut in 2020, but he managed to calm himself. “Breathe, execute pitches,” he said. “That’s all you can do when you’re out there. Once I got off the mound and fired my first pitch, I think all that stuff kind of goes away.”
During the game, Skubal, who recorded 228 strikeouts along with 18 wins and a 2.39 ERA, allowed only four singles and one walk over six innings.
“Those guys swing early and often, put the ball in play,” he said. “You have to be relentless at throwing strikes and getting ahead. When you get behind, that’s when the damage starts happening.”
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was asked what makes the 27-year-old so special, aside from his amazing skills on the mound. He noted that Skubal’s work ethic is unmatched.
Hinch shared that after the win, he initially couldn’t find Skubal in the clubhouse and eventually found him doing arm exercises with the training staff while the rest of the Tigers celebrated.
“He’s all in,” Hinch said. “He will do anything. He’s intense, but he’s under control. He’s competitive, but he’s a thinking man’s pitcher. He’s got weapons.
He’s the complete package of a guy that you want anchoring a staff. As he’s gotten more popular and more attention and more status within the game, he continues to work harder.”
Hinch stated that no one should be surprised that Skubal, who is a favorite for the AL Cy Young Award, performed well on such a big stage. He has been consistent throughout the season. “We’ve seen a lot of these Tarik Skubal starts,” Hinch said.
“This is not an outlier. This is why many people refer to him as one of the best pitchers on the planet.”
